S.D. school board paints dire picture

Hundreds protest school district’s recommendation to close schools

Facing an angry crowd of parents, students and teachers, the San Diego school board talked doom and gloom Tuesday night, taking on dire issues that have stirred unrest for weeks — fiscal insolvency, campus closures and selling off district property among them.

Hundreds turned out to protest recent recommendations from the San Diego Unified School District that more than a dozen campuses close or consolidate next year.

Constituencies from throughout the city were present — including Allied Gardens, Tierrasanta, Paradise Hills, Point Loma and Mission Bay. Administrators looked at attendance trends, academic performance, cost effectiveness, and other data used to identify which campuses are the most eligible to shutter.

Many in the audience questioned the closure criteria altogether. Some accused the district of going after campuses based on their property values. Still more claimed the board of education fostered a culture that has pitted schools against each other in the fight to stay open.

Schools in the crosshairs

Under the recommendations these schools would shut down.

“We’re not going to give up without a fight. We bought into that neighborhood because of the schools,” said Heather Nelson of Point Loma, where three schools have made the preliminary closure list. “Everyone wants to point a finger at another school to argue that their school shouldn’t be closed. It’s unfortunate what’s going on.”

San Diego Unified faces midyear cuts of up to $33 million to its $1.057 billion operating budget this year, and a shortfall possibly between $60 to $118 million next year, said Superintendent Bill Kowba said.

For each school that is closed or consolidated, the district expects to save $500,000. More savings — to the tune of $35 million — would come with canceled construction projects pending on the $2.1 billion Proposition S bond measure’s massive fix-it list, officials said.

The school board reviewed the controversial closure recommendations released last week by the district. Trustees also listened to emotional pleas from parents and students who waited more than three hours for a chance to defend their campuses.

“I get good grades. I scored 600 in the math STAR test… If I try harder will you let us stay open — because I will,” said Luke Cepurac, a fourth-grader at Marvin Elementary School in Allied Gardens. “I want to graduate from Marvin with my friends like my sister did.”

The school board is plans to hold a workshop next month before considering a formal proposal on school closures next month. A vote is set for set for December.

Trustee Kevin Beiser said he was moved by the community response. He is skeptical the district would realize a half-million in savings for closing a single school. However, he has not yet decided how to vote on the matter.

“To realize that savings, it assumes that every single child stays in the district,” he said. “If you close some of these schools, some students may end up at charters or private schools and the district will lose (state attendance) revenue.”

Trustee Scott Barnett believes the district is long overdue for a realignment that would make for a more cost-effective operation. Enrollment is dropping and the district operates too many facilities, he said.